The Cannabis plant has a long history of medicinal use. The beneficial compounds in cannabis are used by patients to alleviate the side effects and symptoms of countless medical conditions, including pain, cancer, HIV, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, and more.
The cannabis compounds are generally administered by inhalation of smoke or vapors, ingestion of edible capsules or liquid extracts such as tinctures or oils, use of topical solutions and ingestible films or wafers. But each mode of delivery has its own disadvantages. For example, the current delivery systems of smoking, and vaporizing are unhealthy, inconvenient and lack proper dosage control. Oral administration of cannabis, like any medication is not always “fast-acting”, a property clearly desirable in the treatment of acute breakthrough pain, for example. Besides, some pediatric and/or geriatric patients have difficulty taking an oral medication due to inability to swallow, nausea or other gastrointestinal problems. While liquid, syrups or suspensions are an alternative to solid dosage forms, such formulations often deteriorate rapidly upon exposure to heat or other atmospheric conditions and consequently have a relatively short shelf life. The films or wafers containing cannabis extracts are often very sticky, have a bitter after-taste and hence can contribute to patient non-compliance. In addition, conventional thin films or wafers often do not include a high load of the active ingredient.